Rio de Janeiro – From 2017 onwards, Brazil is manufacturing 100% domestic-made biomedicine for treating cancer, arthritis and other conditions. A term of cooperation has been signed this Wednesday (2nd) by Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Instituto Vital Brasil, and joint venture Bionovis (Sem, Aché, Hypermarcas and União Química) providing for the construction of a new plant, on the Fiocruz campus in Jacarepaguá,
The biomedicine, made from live cells, will be supplied to Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS – Unified Healthcare System), which currently imports this type of medication. The domestic manufacturing should spare the government coffers R$ 460 million in five years. According to Fiocruz chairman Paulo Gadelha, apart from saving government money, the partnership, which also involves technology research and development, will bring about several benefits, including development of new products and jobs creation.
The plant, which will be privately owned, will get tax breaks and should be completed by late 2016. Initially, the unit will make six medications: rituximab, designed to treat lymphoma and rheumatoid arthritis, etanercept and infliximab, both for rheumatoid arthritis; cetuximab, trastuzumab and bevacizumab, for cancer.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
